For general questions on heating in your home.
4
votes
3answers
570 views
Where am I losing heat from my house?
My house is about 5 years old and our local building codes required a 5-star energy rating (Melbourne, Australia). This means there's solar hot water and both the walls and ceiling are insulated.
But ...
3
votes
1answer
149 views
Why does my boiler keep shutting down and reigniting after a minute?
My central heating comes on via the timer and runs for about 30 minutes, then it shuts down for a minute, runs for 2 minutes, shuts down for a minute, runs for 2 minutes. This is a constant thing ...
0
votes
3answers
108 views
Why is my Central Heating taking so long to heat up?
I'm in the UK with a small modern, well insulated, double glazed home heated by a traditional gas boiler.
My heating had been achieving room stat temperature within 30 minutes but is now taking at ...
2
votes
1answer
264 views
How can I retrofit this existing wall-heater with an external thermostat?
My house has several wall-mounted gas heaters.
All but one of them have external, easily accessible thermostats. However, the one that happens to be the most used has no remotely mounted thermostat, ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
What is a quieter alternative to gas forced air heating?
My small 1BR apartment has an old gas furnace that works great, but costs my landlord too much to insure. He plans to install gas forced air, an in-unit upright furnace. I'd love to suggest a ...
5
votes
1answer
342 views
Why does a single radiator need regular bleeding?
Almost all of the radiators (forced water) in my house heat up fine. However, a single radiator needs regular bleeding (~1/day) in order to heat. Note, this radiator is not at the highest point in the ...
1
vote
0answers
36 views
How can I consolidate different heating/cooling systems into a single system?
I have 3 different types of heating/cooling systems that I inherited.
Hot water heat. This heats the whole house/garage via 3 zones.
Zone 1: Kitchen/Livingroom
Zone 2: Bedrooms/Bath
Zone 3: Garage
...
3
votes
0answers
126 views
What type of rubber pipe is used for this particular installation of hydronic radiant in-floor heating, and is it reliable?
I'm looking at a home built in the 80's with hydronic radiant in-floor heating embedded in concrete slab. I've never seen this type of hydronic tubing before. I'm pretty sure that the attached photo ...
0
votes
1answer
81 views
Why isn't my thermostat clicking on/off automatically?
My thermostat is not clicking on/off automatically, I have called my landlord and they replaced a very old one with a brand new one and it is still not clicking on off automatically, but will ...
2
votes
1answer
638 views
What should I do about this Alpha HE CB33 Boiler pressure error condition?
I have an alpha he cb33 boiler which has stopped working this morning. Yesterday I removed a radiator for cleaning then put it back on and re-pressurised the system. It was working ok last night. ...
-3
votes
0answers
80 views
How to heat my house after Peak Oil? [closed]
Peak Oil is very near or has even already started. How can one heat one's house without using oil or one of its derivatives?
All the boilers I know depend on derivatives of oil. And the alternatives ...
2
votes
1answer
402 views
Steam Baseboard vs. Steam Radiator
We currently have a single pipe steam heat system. We've had a couple of plumbers in to give us estimates on recessing our exposed radiators. Neither of them seemed thrilled with the idea and one ...
0
votes
0answers
64 views
Why is it taking so long for my house to heat up with no quality to the heat generated? [duplicate]
I'm in the UK.
I have a small modern, well insulated and double glazed semi detached home which is heated with a traditional gas boiler feeding radiators and a hot water system.
The heating had ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is it taking so long for my house to heat up?
Firstly, I should probably mention that I'm in the UK...
My wife and I bought a house new from a builder over 9 years ago and have had no problems whatsoever with our central heating system in that ...
2
votes
4answers
164 views
How can I measure the r-value of a wall?
What is a reproducible test to measure the r-value of an exterior wall? Or even a specific spot on a specific wall? It needn't produce an absolutely certain result, but a good estimate with known ...
1
vote
1answer
95 views
How can house hot water pressure be kept stable if more than one hot tap is open?
We have a Vaillant Ecotec combi boiler in the loft. When showering, hot water pressure is fine. But if someone opens any other hot tap in the house, it massively reduces the hot water coming into the ...
-1
votes
1answer
82 views
How do I turn the heat down in my house?
I just moved into this house. It still has the radiator unit but it's too hot. How do I turn the heat down? I turned the thermostat off, but it's still hot: does that mean I need a new thermostat?
6
votes
4answers
745 views
Heating/cooling system recommendations for this small house?
I will soon build my first house and I need to choose what type of heating/cooling system I'll have installed. I know very little about this and I'm seeking recommendations, ideas, suggestions, etc.
...
2
votes
1answer
506 views
How can I prevent heat loss through heater/air conditioner wall units?
HVAC experts out there...
I live in Wisconsin and it gets mighty cold here! I have a condo with 2 wall units that are used for both air conditioning and heat. My heat bill in the cold winter months ...
0
votes
0answers
93 views
Why does the water pressure in my boiler go up so high?
The problem I have is with the pressure dial on the tank in bathroom. I was told that both needles should be at about 1.5, but the red needle rises up and then we have madly banging pipes, and ...
1
vote
1answer
582 views
What could be causing my bedroom to be so cold, and how can I make it warmer?
I live in a two story townhouse with a basement this summer, they replaced the furnace and air conditioning unit. Last winter i put the 3M film over the windows to help with drafts and it worked great ...
0
votes
1answer
172 views
How can I stop my radiators “clicking” when they're turned on or off?
I have a central heating system on a timer, and whenever the timer turns on or off, for around ten / fifteen minutes, some of the radiators in my home make regular clicking noises, kinda ...
0
votes
1answer
131 views
Can I install a garden chiminea in a wooden shed?
I want to install my iron garden chiminea into my wooden shed.
Is this a really bad idea? If it's not, how should I go about installing a chimney flue?
2
votes
1answer
129 views
What to look for in a new water radiator?
The water radiators I have under each window are 50 years old, and I would like some new ones. They measure HxLxD 50x100x20 cm.
The new ones I would like should be as thin as possible.
I live in an ...
3
votes
3answers
298 views
Do home radiators waste water?
I received my second quarterly water bill and cannot believe it says I'm using 49,000 gallons of water each quarter. That's over 500 gals per day!
So I started thinking about average water usage per ...
0
votes
2answers
280 views
How could I use 40lb Propane tanks in a residential hook up?
I have two 100 gallon tanks from suburban propane but end up using so little, that I am charged approx $5.30 per gallon. I am reasonably sure that I could use two 40lb tanks and do the legwork myself ...
4
votes
5answers
559 views
Should I open the top or bottom of double hung windows?
I'm a new home owner and was wondering if there is a "right" way to use the double hung windows in the house. Should I open the top or bottom? Is there a seasonality to it? Does it even matter at ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Is a radiant floor enough to heat the room?
I would like to know if an electric or hydronic radiant floor is enough to heat the room or if it's just to have a warm floor. And if yes, what is the efficiency (the time it take to warm the room, ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Is it possible to use a dryer vent as a heat source in the winter?
Is it possible to attach a diverter to an electric clothes dryer vent so it can help heat my house in the winter? Seems like such a waste to blow it all outside. I imagine you'd need some sort of ...
4
votes
1answer
222 views
Why do my downstairs radiators run colder than upstairs?
Our combi boiler in the loft (less than 3 years old Vaillant EcoTec) is heating the upstairs radiators nicely, but the downstairs ones are lukewarm to cold.
I have opened all the radiator valves ...
2
votes
0answers
106 views
How can I use bulk electrical wire to make a subfloor heating system?
Electrical floor heating kits run US$10 to $15 per square foot, but bulk wire only costs $2.50. With the controller, you're still running under $4 a square foot. I have a construction background, but ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What is difference between BTU and MBH for house furnaces?
When selecting a new house furnace most calculators display results as BTUs (based on the square footage, number of levels, estimated temperature, etc). What's interesting is that most new furnaces ...
2
votes
2answers
151 views
How can I stop heat loss due to an uninsulated porch?
I have an enclosed porch with very little insulation, it is typically very cold in the winter. However, there is a radiator in the enclosed porch. I have a gas boiler heating system in the house.
...
8
votes
4answers
672 views
Can I season firewood over the woodstove?
I have a woodstove but all my firewood is still green. My friend suggested I dry it out indoors. He said I should put a few fire bricks on top of the stove, then stack green firewood on the bricks, ...
2
votes
1answer
76 views
Is there a way to make a thermostat based heating system more accurate through either adding probes or hacking?
In my Brooklyn apartment, heated via steam radiator, my thermostat is in the unheated hallway between all the rooms. The temperature it reads is often different, than both the rooms with heaters and ...
1
vote
0answers
85 views
Why is my furnace blowing hot air outside?
So I have been having trouble heating my home. I noticed today that there is a vent blowing hot air outside. It is not the return, chimney or venting. Any ideas other that the builder thought we ...
10
votes
11answers
4k views
How can I increase the heating efficiency of a forced air system?
What are some DIY ways to increase the efficiency of a forced air heating system?
Please answer in Community wiki fashion: 1 tip per answer.
Edit:
As @Jay Bazuzi pointed out, tips can also include ...
0
votes
0answers
89 views
Why isn't water running through our radiators?
We had a plumber in today to bleed our rads. He also changed the batteries on the thermostat and fiddled around with the boiler. Since he left the temperature has dropped dramatically and he's refused ...
1
vote
2answers
420 views
What could cause a clicking sound in an underfloor heating controller?
I have a underfloor heating system installed in my apartment.
Each room has a Uponor T-37 thermostat, hooked up to C-35 controller.
The system is about four years old and recently I have noticed a ...
3
votes
2answers
106 views
Does a humidifier cool the air?
I'm considering getting an evaporative humidifier for my super-dry Northeast house, but I'm wondering if the evaporation cools off the room and is going to add to my heating bill.
It seems like ...
3
votes
2answers
318 views
How can I create a radiant heat system for melting ice on wood steps?
Our house has wood stairs to descend from the front porch. On maybe 15 - 30 days out of the year a layer of ice forms on the stairs, posing a safety hazard. Even with our familiarity with the issue ...
4
votes
1answer
444 views
How can I prevent my HVAC condensate drain line from freezing?
Last night, my heat (forced air) suddenly stopped. Today, a plumber figured out that my heater is 90% efficient, produces lots of condensate, and the drain line had frozen. We went outside and saw ...
0
votes
0answers
167 views
What could cause my radiators to go cold when the hot water is turned on?
when only heating is selected on my program timer the radiators all work fine and are hot. But when both heating and hot water are on the water gets hot but all the radiators go cold. When the hot ...
2
votes
2answers
289 views
Why do I run out of hot water after 5 min?
I have a gas water heater and recently found that I do not get more than 5min of hot water. Previously I would be able to take a half hour shower. I see no leaks around water heater. It also seems ...
0
votes
0answers
55 views
What does the low limit do, and where should it be set on an oil fired hot water furnace?
What does the low limit do, and where should it be set? My furnace has
a honeywell triple aquastat relay and has a difference dial. Water temp is about 190 deg F. Also, water psi gauge is only ...
1
vote
3answers
208 views
Can a gas fireplace insert heat an entire house?
I have a single-story 1400 sq/ft house (4 bedroom). Here's a VERY rough sketch of the layout:
The house has blown-in insulation on the exterior walls but no insulation on the interior walls. ...
5
votes
7answers
6k views
How can I efficiently heat a pool?
Continuously heating a pool can be expensive and the best ways to lower the cost are to have a cumbersome pool cover in addition to the equipment needed (solar or an AC-like heat pump). There must be ...
1
vote
4answers
3k views
Will wrapping the stove pipes with copper pipes increase wood stove efficiency?
I've heard that wrapping my wood stove's chimney - the parts inside the house that go from the stove the the actual chimney - with copper pipes will increase the amount of heat generated.
Has anyone ...
8
votes
2answers
281 views
How can I stop my fireplace from disabling my thermostat?
My thermostat is in the sitting room and I have an open fire, so as soon as the room is nicely warm and cozy, the central heating goes off and the rest of the house is cold. I have heard about WiFi ...
3
votes
1answer
244 views
How long does radiant heat in a concrete floor last?
I am looking to purchase a home built in 1950 that has radiant heat with copper pipes inside the concrete slab foundation. The home has been vacant for a little while now too, not sure if that ...
